GE makes major progress on solid oxide fuel cell project

General Electric Co. announced today that it has successfully developed a six kilowatt prototype solid oxide fuel cell system for the U.S. Department of Energy.

The prototype, which has been sent to DOE and its National Energy Technology Laboratory for testing, was developed at GE Global Research in Niskayuna. The government wants it to be used for reduced emissions power generation.

GE says its prototype exceeds the DOE’s specifications for both efficiency and low cost potential.

It says the system, which would operate using coal as a fuel, would achieve “dramatically reduced emissions” and get 50 percent energy efficiency from the coal, compared to the 35 percent efficiency typical in a conventional pulverized coal-fired power plant.